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The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) named Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan as the winner of the 2017-18 Magic Johnson Award, which honours the player who best combines excellence on the basketball court with cooperation and dignity in dealing with the media and the public. He joins Chris Bosh (2009-10) as the only players in franchise history to receive the award.

"I'm grateful to the reporters and broadcasters who cover our league, who love our game and who communicate with our fans every day. So thank you to the PBWA for this award,” said DeRozan. “It's very special for an L.A. guy to receive an honour named for Magic."

DeRozan averaged a team-best 23.0 points and a career-high 5.2 assists while helping the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins during the 2017-18 campaign. He is the longest serving player in franchise history (nine seasons) and helped build an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness in one of the NBA’s largest media markets.

Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics also were finalists for the award.

Members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association selected the winner through a vote.

The PBWA created the Magic Johnson Award in 2001. The association’s members continue to regard Earvin “Magic” Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers as the ideal paradigm for the award.

The PBWA is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA on a regular basis for newspapers, online outlets and magazines.

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DeRozan Named Winner of PBWA's Magic Johnson Award

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that the NBA Africa Game 2018, the NBA's third game in Africa, will take place Saturday, Aug. 4 at 5:00 pm CAT at Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa.

The announcement was made today at a press conference in Johannesburg by NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall.

The NBA Africa Game 2018 will once again feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format. Team Africa will be composed of players born in Africa or with direct family ties to the continent, and Team World will be composed of players from the rest of the world.

Team Africa will include Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.; parents from Nigeria), Bismack Biyombo (Orlando Magic; Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cheick Diallo (New Orleans Pelicans; Mali), Evan Fournier (Magic; France; parent from Algeria), Serge Ibaka (Toronto Raptors; Republic of the Congo), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (76ers; France; parent from Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012).

Team World will include DeMar DeRozan (Raptors; U.S.), Harrison Barnes (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.), Danilo Gallinari (LA Clippers; Italy; BWB Europe 2003), Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs; U.S.), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks; U.S.), and Hassan Whiteside (Miami Heat; U.S.).

Full rosters of players, coaches and legends will be announced at a later date.

Tickets will be available Friday, June 15 by visiting Computicket.com or Computicket's retail outlets in South Africa.

The NBA Africa Game 2018 will take place following the 16th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa. In honor the centenary of Nelson Mandela, the game will be played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The NBA Africa Game 2018 will air live in sub-Saharan Africa on Kwesé Free Sports, Kwesé Sports 1, the Kwesé TV app, as well as Kwesé's partner pay-TV and free-to-air channels.

The NBA has held two sold-out Africa Games, in Johannesburg in 2015 and 2017, in support of charities including UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOS Children's Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA). There are more than 80 current and former NBA players from Africa or with direct family ties to the continent, including Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) and Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

For more information, fans can register at www.NBA.com/AfricaGame, visit www.NBA.com/Africa, and follow the NBA on Facebook (NBA Africa) and Twitter (@NBA_Africa).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
"We are deeply honored to be a part of the centennial celebration of President Mandela's birthday. Our third NBA Africa Game and 16th Basketball Without Borders Africa camp will embody one of the most enduring parts of his legacy, which is the belief that sports have the power to inspire and change the world."

NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts:
"With origins from all over the world, our players understand the global reach of the sport of basketball and remain committed to making an impact on the continent through this third Africa Game. We look forward to continuing this tradition with the NBA and strengthening the presence of basketball in Africa and around the world."

NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall:
"Hosting the NBA Africa Game for the third time in four years is a testament to our commitment to growing the game in Africa. We look forward to working with the NBPA once again and all our partners to bring the authentic NBA experience to our fans in South Africa and the rest of the continent. This game and the community events in the week leading up to it will further build on our efforts to use the transformative power of the game of basketball to foster positive social change."

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011):
"I was fortunate to participate in Basketball Without Borders Africa first as a camper and then last year as a coach. To play in the NBA's third game in Africa is truly special to me, and I can't wait to take the floor in front of our fans in Africa.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward DeMar DeRozan (U.S.):
"I am proud to represent Team World in the third NBA Africa Game. Some of my teammates played in the previous two games, and I have heard a lot of great things about South Africa and our fans there. I'm looking forward to visiting the continent for the first time this summer."

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2017-18 season featured 108 international players from a record 42 countries and territories. NBA Digital's assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.5 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About the NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA's mission is to ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals -- on and off the court.

The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interest of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities.

In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities -- from executive leadership roles, to team representative positions, global community outreach initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.

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DeRozan Headlines NBA Africa Game 2018

The National Basketball Association announced Thursday that Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan has been named to the All-NBA Second Team. This marks the second consecutive season he has earned All-NBA honours after being named to the third team last season. DeRozan joins Vince Carter as the only players in franchise history to earn the honour multiple times. Carter was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2000 and Second Team in 2001. Chris Bosh earned second team honours in 2007 and Kyle Lowry was selected to the third team in 2016.

“Being recognized among an elite group of my peers is always rewarding,” said DeRozan. “Knowing where I started and the work I’ve put in each year to improve makes this even more humbling. Thanks to my teammates and the Raptors organization for all their support.”

DeRozan averaged a team-best 23.0 points, 11th in the NBA, a career-high 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 33.9 minutes in 80 games last season. He shot .825 (461-for-559) at the foul line and ranked fifth in the NBA in free throws made. DeRozan scored 20-or-more points in 53 games, including a franchise-record 52 points in an overtime victory Jan. 1 vs. Milwaukee. He scored 42 points Jan. 13 vs. Golden State to pass Carter (91) for the most 30-point games in team history.

DeRozan appeared in his fourth NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles and second straight as a starter. He was selected as Eastern Conference Player of the Week five times (Nov. 13-18, Dec. 18-24, Jan. 1-7, Feb. 26 - Mar. 4 and Mar. 5-11) and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in January. DeRozan ranked second in the East in scoring (25.3 points) and posted the highest assist average (5.9) for any month of his career in January.

Joining DeRozan on the All-NBA Second Team are Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) and LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio).

The All-NBA Teams were selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.

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DeMar DeRozan Named To All-NBA Second Team

Toronto Raptors (0-3) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (3-0)

The Raptors dropped a 105-103 decision to the Cavaliers in Game 3 as LeBron James banked in a running one-hander as time expired. The game was a roller coaster for Toronto. The Raptors trailed by double digits in the opening quarter, but fought all the way back only to unravel in the final minutes of the first half to take a 15-point deficit into the locker room. In the second half, Toronto trimmed a point off the lead in the third quarter to head into the fourth trailing by 14 points. They mounted a furious comeback in the final frame, outscoring Cleveland 38-26, with OG Anunoby tying the game at 103 with eight seconds remaining on the clock. James received the inbounds pass, dribbled down the court and drilled his shot as the buzzer sounded to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 series lead.

Injury report: The injury report is currently clear for both teams.

Bottling the fourth: The Raptors enter Game 4 with a single mission: Win or start the offseason earlier than desired. After losing each of the first three games a different way, the one thing to take from the loss in Game 3 is how the team played in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavs 38-26, as they came back from a 14-point deficit, and were a LeBron James buzzer beater away from forcing overtime.

OG ready: Rookie OG Anunoby has been fantastic these playoffs. After a solid rookie campaign, starting 64 of 72 regular-season games played in his first season, Anunoby has upped his game in his first postseason experience on both ends of the floor. In Game 3, in addition to guarding LeBron James on the defensive end, Anunoby scored a playoff career-high 18 points on 7-for-12 field goals, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. His game-tying three with eight seconds remaining came with zero hesitation.

Turnover's mounting: Though the Raptors helped to force Cleveland into 12 turnovers, more than Cleveland's combined turnovers in Games 1 and 2, the Raptors still turned the ball over 17 times, leading to another 18 points scored by the Cavaliers. In three games this series, Cleveland is outscoring Toronto 52-19 on points off turnovers.

FVV hive: Fred VanVleet moved into the starting lineup for Game 3. This wasn't just his first playoff start, but the first start of his NBA career. Though he struggled from the floor, hitting just 2-of-9 field goals and finishing with a modest stat line of eight points and two assists, VanVleet's presence was a positive for the Raptors who were a team-high +14 in his 33 minutes.

Lowry leads the way: Through three games, Kyle Lowry is leading the Raptors offensively, averaging 22 points per game. He's been extremely efficient as well, shooting 63 percent from the floor, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 86 percent from the free throw line. In 38.2 minutes per game against the Cavaliers, Lowry is also averaging 8.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 4.8 rebounds per game.

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2018 Playoffs: Game 4 Preview - Raptors at Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors (0-2) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0)

Broadcast info: ABC, Sportsnet One, TSN1050

The Cavaliers rolled to a 128-110 Game 2 victory behind a monster performance from LeBron James to take a 2-0 series lead. After the Raptors led through the first half for the second consecutive game, James and the Cavaliers exploded in the third quarter to take control of the game. James finished with 43 points and 14 assists and Kevin Love added 31 points and 11 rebounds. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan's 24 points, while Kyle Lowry had 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting.

On the road again: After dropping the first two games in the series, things now shift to Cleveland where Games 3 and 4 will be played. The Raptors are the only team in the NBA that has not dropped three consecutive games this season. Toronto is 6-0 following back-to-back losses this season.

Third quarter push: In Game 2, Toronto led by as many as nine points in the half, before Cleveland trimmed the deficit to two points at the break. The Raptors shot 59 percent in the half, to 55 percent for the Cavaliers. Things flipped in the third quarter when Cleveland outscored Toronto 37-24, shooting 73 percent as Toronto's field goal percentage dipped to 47 percent. The Cavaliers had 16 made field goals in the quarter, compared to nine for Toronto as they went from down two at the half to ahead by 11 heading into the fourth.

Limiting turnovers:  For the second straight game, the Cavaliers have had a significant advantage in points scored off turnovers. After a 21-4 edge in Game 1, the Raptors gave Cleveland 13 points off 11 turnovers in Game 2. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, turned the ball over just three times, leading to four points scored by Toronto. In the first two games combined, Cleveland is outscoring the Raptors 34-8 on points scored off turnovers.

Double-double: Jonas Valanciunas had another double-double in Game 2 with 16 points and 12 rebounds. This follows his 21-point, 21-rebound performance in Game 1, which was the first 20-20 playoff game in Raptors franchise history. Valanciunas is averaging 14.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the postseason.

Ready for Saturday: Of course the Raptors would have preferred to not be on the road trailing 0-2 with games 3 and 4 to be played in Cleveland, but a rocky start doesn't change the realities of a seven-game series. The Raptors are looking at Game 3 and Game 3 only for the time being. "We've been in tough situations before, and sometimes when you're put in tough situations that's what brings the best out of you," DeMar DeRozan said. "That's what point we're at now. It's the first team to win four. We understand where we at, and we're going to fight."

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2018 Playoffs: Game 3 Preview - Raptors at Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers (1-0) @ Toronto Raptors (0-1)

Broadcast info: ESPN, Sportsnet One, TSN1050

The Raptors dropped Game 1 in a 113-112 decision in overtime on Tuesday night. After Toronto led throughout, the Cavaliers took their first lead of the game in overtime, on a three-pointer from Kyle Korver. Though the Raptors had opportunities in both overtime and the end of regulation, they could not convert on multiple attempts and suffered a disappointing Game 1 defeat on their home floor. LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, J.R Smith added 20 points and Kyle Korver scored 19 points. The Raptors were led by Jonas Valanciunas, who had a 21-point, 21-rebound double-double, DeMar DeRozan who had 22 points, and Kyle Lowry who scored 18 points to go with 10 assists.

Game 2: The Raptors are 6-1 when playing Game 2 on their home floor and they have also won their last four Game 2's at the Air Canada Centre. After getting off to a great start in Game 1, Toronto wants to feed off its home crowd and do the same on Thursday as they look to even up the series.

Locked in: Despite dropping Game 1 in disappointing fashion, the Raptors came to practice on Wednesday with confidence high, the group focused on getting ready for Thursday's Game 2. "The biggest thing is just remaining confident in what we are doing," C.J. Miles said. "We did a lot of good things, and we feel like a lot of things we can clean up and do better."

Frustrating fourth: The Raptors were outscored 23-18 in the fourth quarter. After shooting 53 percent through the first three quarters, Toronto shot just 21 percent in the final frame, and missed its final 11 field goals in regulation, despite getting solid looks at the basket and plenty of opportunities to convert. "You ever see the movie 6th Man?" DeMar DeRozan said. "It was like somebody was sitting on the rim, Antoine {from the movie] was sitting on the rim, knocking them out. It sucked. But we had a lot of great looks. I thought my putback was good, CJ's, JV's. CJ's three was a walk in, dead wide open three-point shot that we will live with every day of the week. And I told him that. Like I said, just Antoine sitting up there, knocking the ball out."

Taking care of the ball: One area the Raptors beat themselves in Game 1 was turnovers. Toronto turned the ball over 14 times on Tuesday, giving the Cavaliers 21 points. Making things worse for the Raptors was that Cleveland only committed six turnovers in the game, leading to just four points scored by the Raptors. In a one-point game, that's a 17-point differential in points scored off turnovers. "Tighten up, just clean things up is where we are at," Fred VanVleet said. "One-possession game, one-point game, any one of those 200 possessions could have been the difference. We've got to be better ourselves."

FVV from deep: After a season of hitting big shots for the Raptors, Fred VanVleet had two opportunities from beyond the arc— one in regulation and another in overtime — to put Toronto ahead in Game 1. VanVleet came up empty on both attempts assisted by DeMar DeRozan. "I told him if we're in that same situation again, [I'd] make the same exact pass," DeRozan said after the game. "It's not just me trusting him, every single guy on this team, [and the] coaching staff trusts him in the moments, that's why he's in the game late in the game. He got tough skin, he's going to bounce back, respond from it, [and] I still have the utmost confidence in him."

VanVleet was asked about taking and missing late-game shots when he spoke to the media on Wednesday. His response illustrated why his teammates and coaching staff feel so strongly about him.

"I've got thick skin," he said. "I'm going to take those shots every time. If you don't want me to take them, don't put me out there, don't pass it to me, because it's going up to me if it does and it's the right shot. When you make it, you're the hero. When you don't, you suck. That's what makes making them that great. The pain of missing them and the agony of having to sit through the night and sit on that until the next chance to go out and play, those highs and lows of the game is what makes the game so great."

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2018 Playoffs: Game 2 Preview - Raptors vs. Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0) @ Toronto Raptors (0-0)

The Raptors were 1-2 against the Cavaliers in three meetings during the regular season. In their only meeting at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto dominated from beginning to end, defeating Cleveland 133-99 behind an 18-for-42 performance from beyond the arc. The remaining two games in Cleveland — both Cavs victories — were much closer. On Mar. 21, Cleveland defeated Toronto 132-129, thanks to a 35-point, 17-assist performance from LeBron James. On Apr. 3, the Cavs earned a 112-106 decision with James again leading the way, scoring 27 points, while Kevin Love added 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Jose Calderon added 19 points.

Familiar foe: This is the third consecutive year that the Raptors will face the Cavaliers in the postseason. During the 2016 playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated Toronto 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Last season, Cleveland completed a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Cavaliers have been to the Finals for the past three seasons, with James led-teams (Miami and Cleveland) having made it there for the previous seven consecutive seasons.

Home court: The Raptors enter this series 3-0 at home this postseason. This continues the success the team saw on its home floor during the regular season where the Raptors finished 34-7, an NBA-best. In three meetings with the Cavaliers in the postseason, this will be the first time Toronto starts the series on its home floor as the higher seed. "All year, you fight to be No. 1 for that home court advantage," DeMar DeRozan said.

Points on the board: DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors offensively in the first round, averaging a career-high 28.8 points against the Washington Wizards. He also set a new postseason career-high for points in a game, scoring 37 points in Toronto's Game 2 victory. He enters this series already holding the record for most 30-point games in the postseason in franchise history (13).

OG ready: Though the Raptors will be using multiple defenders on LeBron James, rookie OG Anunoby will get his opportunity to try to slow the four-time MVP. In Toronto's first-round series against the Wizards, Anunoby started every game, and showed zero sign of postseason nerves. Raptors head coach Dwane Casey expects that calm to continue into the semifinals. "He's a mature young man," Casey said. "I don't think he's going to get rattled as far as the moment. In the first series against Washington, he did not get rattled. He was cool and under control in what he did. His thought process, he had attention to detail. He made mistakes, but for the most part his attention to detail was like a veteran player. That's the only thing you can ask for from a young player."

Bench mob mindset: Though DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas, the three longest-tenure Raptors, led the way in Round 1 against the Wizards, Toronto's bench figures to factor prominently in the second round.  In the regular season, the bench mob finished fourth in the league, averaging 41.8 points per game. Though production dipped in Round 1 as Fred VanVleet missed four of six games (and appeared in just three minutes of Game 2 with a sore shoulder), his return in a close-out Game 6 performance coincided with the bench having its strongest showing of the season.

VanVleet credited Indiana for how hard they played against the Cavs in their seven-game first round series. He also praised James, before sharing his mindset, when it comes to facing one of the best players in the league. "I respect the guy a lot, the type of player he is, obviously, the person is," VanVleet said. "But for me, the most respect I can give him is to not give him any respect, in terms of going out there and just trying to challenge him and take him down, and that's our job, and that's what we need to do this week."

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2018 Playoffs: Game 1 Preview - Raptors vs. Cavaliers

The Toronto Raptors will continue the 2018 NBA Playoffs by facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference semifinals series beginning Tuesday, May 1 at Air Canada Centre. Game 1 is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. and will be televised on TSN in Canada and TNT in the United States. Game 2 will be played Thursday, May 3 with the tip off scheduled for 6 p.m. Game 2 will be broadcast on Sportsnet in Canada and ESPN in the United States. The series will shift to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 with both games starting at 8:30 p.m.

This marks the third consecutive season the Raptors and Cavaliers will face each other in the playoffs. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting Raptors.com or TicketMaster.com.